Exactly what I was thinking. You are looking for a specific combination that there were just not a lot of to start off with.
You may find a "nice" one, but mint just does not exist (especially in the $5000 range).

When buying used, color choices should be low on the list (more like a color you will not buy, not one or two colors you will). The FX4 package is not a big deal, just look for a 4x4.
Widen the search to 2001-2003 for more options, and you may find a decent deal on a good truck.

 

Fair enough thank you for that reality check guys. So I found one I'm looking at tomorrow.

2003 lariat fx4 supercrew
2nd owner no accidents local truck with only 201k km's.
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The good
Steering pump, alternator, battery, spark plugs all recently done. No rust, body is in excellent condition. Comes with canopy and 2 keys.

The bad
Needs new coil for cylinder 8
New tires
Drivers seat is ripping and doesn't slide back and forth
Radio doesn't work (was changing it out anyways)

My brother in law is a Ford mechanic and will take care of the coil and other engine servicing like oil and filters, as well as possibly installing a new seat for me.
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​​​​​Accepted offer of $3k (Canadian) subject to viewing. What do you guys think? My main concern is that seat. It will be a unicorn to find a good one no? Anywhere online I can order one? Can the sliding and heating mechanism be fixed? I've seen tons of oem looking seat covers for it. Thanks!


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Seat cover is no issue, seats are common in salvage yards and online.
OEM seat heater, not gonna happen. The replacement pads have been out of stock for years. You may be able to temporally fix the old one (there is a fix online somewhere for the common issue of bottom pad not working), but if you want heated seats, you will need to go aftermarket (which is not a huge deal if you are replacing your seat cover.

Why do you think the coil is bad? Testing on your part or the owners word? Were the spark plug boots and springs changed when the plugs were. What plugs were used? Motorcraft plugs are highly recommended, there have been issues with other brand plugs regardless of brand.
Very easy to check if the coil is bad, just move it to another cylinder, and if it follows the coil, it is the coil.
Is the seat electric or manual (I am guessing it is electric since it is a Lariat). If electric, it could be as simple as a blown fuse or bad relay, or could be a bad motor. Not a huge deal to fix. If manual seat, could be a disconnected adjustment arm or other mechanical disconnects. Either could be something jammed up in the mechanism.

Radio is not a big deal.

 

This is what he said about the coil.

"I have checked it for vacuum leaks, cleaned the injectors, tested the fuel pressure and changed the spark plugs. Checked the PCM. It’s still throwing code P0308 (misfire cylinder 8) the only thing left is the coil pack. It's a fairly easy job."

And he showed me a pic of the code it's reading.

As far as the seat goes it's a leather electric seat. Hopefully can just find something local from the junker in good condition, might be my best best.


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You need 3 things in a combustion cycle. Fuel, Spark, and Compression. So no, the last thing is not the coil. You could be down a cylinder.

 

So what are my choices?

 

I'd pass on that truck, you could be buying someone else's problem.sounds like he has been going aimlessly at diagnosing it

 

Personally, I'd put a new plug in it, because it's probably fouled now. Then swap the coil with another cylinder and see if the misfire moves with the coil. If it stays at cylinder 8, then do a compression test on the motor. You should have no more than a 10% variation in all eight cylinders.

 

This is very true here!

 

you could end up throwing a coil on it, and it running like new or no change, then you have a base engine concern and that is not cheap to fix